Abandon
by Prosopopeia
Summary: SanjixLuffy series: His captain resonated freedom. That was why Sanji could never leave him. Story 5: Of Shichibukai and Love
1. Never Alone

_First One Piece fic ever. I am quite excited about this. Well, anyway, yaoi ahoy! Sanji/Luffy. I heart this pairing. The fact that there aren't many fics for these two makes it all the more precious to me. This will be a series of one-shots. I'll make a note whether or not some stories are relatable. This one is based on the events of the sixth movie. So spoilers are abound. Honestly, this movie was utterly beautiful to watch. Deliciously creepy too. I mark it as my favorite movie thus far. But enough of my ranting. On with the story! The entire project's name is _Abandon_, but each individual story's name is in italics and underlined. _

_Disclaimer: Me don't own One Piece, k?_

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**Abandon **

_Never Alone_

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Sanji blew out a cloud of smoke, watching the horizon with aloofness. It was nearing late evening now. The sun had set two hours ago, yet the salty air still retained a smoldering scent hot with life. The young chef was currently resting against the balcony. Omatsuri Island was abandoned, and all of its resources now lied in the hands of the Straw Hats. Sanji breathed in his poison and glanced back at the room behind him. Usopp and Zoro were still out—after all, the night was young and perfect for celebrating. The other unknown five inhabitants of the island were especially ecstatic with the defeat of the Baron, and the happenings of the party below Sanji filtered through his ears unobtrusively—like a pleasant tinkling of silver bells. That must have been Usopp fooling around, the cook decided.

But inside the room there lied a slumbering captain—known both for his recklessness and insatiable appetite. Unlike his usual loud snoring, Luffy was quiet. Taken in by deep sleep after suffering from severe injuries—wounds that still had Sanji wondering.

The strange moustache man, Brief, had explained what happened earlier—their capture by the Baron and being fed to an enormous lily—but all Sanji really cared about was _why_ Luffy had been roughed up so badly in the first place. "Well…he was fighting to save you all," the small man had said. Sanji could recall everything up to the point he went out looking for their missing crewmates. Everything afterwards was a blank. When he and the others had woken up along the rocky cliffs, they had been more than a little displeased.

Sanji had been the first to notice the bandages around Luffy's wrists and ankles when they approached the young captain. Nami had begun her usual tirade and everyone else was simply confused.

"_What kind of mess did you get yourself into while we were out, huh?"_

He had worded it with his usual disdain, but had been stunned when Zoro propped Luffy up—the latter saying he was simply too tired to do it himself. Luffy's entire back and arms had been pierced and the blood was just starting to ooze out slowly when Chopper began his frantic checkup.

All the while, despite the many questions made about the acquiring of his injuries, Luffy merely smiled and laughed. That was when the moustache man had enlightened them. But midway through his explanations, Luffy had slipped unconscious and Chopper was apoplectic.

"_We can save the talking for later! We have to go back and get Luffy treated first!"_

Sanji had been the one to haul the younger boy over his shoulders while they made their way back to the main resort. He did not know why he had done it then—and he still did not know now. His body had moved of its own accord, and Sanji just accepted it.

The room was dark, but gradually became lighter when the moon appeared behind the clouds. Luffy was still enshrouded by shadows, but Sanji knew where he lied. Knew by the soft breathing in the motionless night that Luffy was all right. The blond turned his gaze back to the infinite sky. The view was spectacular here. Stars littered the inky sky and the island glowed incandescently. It was a sad beauty, though, and one that filled Sanji's heart with uneasiness.

_I blamed him for everything._

He had been furious—frustrated and worried—and could not stop the words from slipping. Sanji could remember Luffy's expression after he had spoke. At the time, the blond had been too annoyed to really pay attention. But now everything came back to him with painful clarity. Luffy had been crushed—it was the first time Sanji had ever seen such a look on his captain's face. And he felt the twinges of guilt biting at him afterwards. Especially since Luffy was the one who saved them all from certain death.

"Where's everyone?"

Sanji started, turning around in surprise. Luffy was standing some feet from him, sleepily rubbing his eyes as he looked inquiringly at the blond. Sanji recovered his composure quickly and crunched down on his cigarette. "They're at the party downstairs," he replied coolly.

Chopper had been concerned over Luffy's condition and had requested for someone to check up on him. Sanji had volunteered for this duty unfailingly, not even pausing to think how uncustomary it was for him to do so. But Chopper had been entirely grateful. Sanji was supposed to stay only for a few minutes, make sure Luffy had not disturbed the bandages, check his temperature and stats, and then head back downstairs if everything was all right. But it had been exactly an hour and Sanji was still in the room. He had briefly entertained himself with reasons for staying, but eventually surrendered and shrugged it off. Sanji sometimes questioned his instincts, but they had never failed him before and he would be a fool to doubt them now. So he let it be.

"Party? I want to go!"

Sanji narrowed his eyes as Luffy hurried over to the door before his strength left him. He stumbled and fell, whining the entire way. Sanji shook his head and walked over to the shorter boy, kneeling down beside him.

"You're in no condition to walk let alone go to a party," he said condescendingly despite the fact that he was helping Luffy to his feet. The younger boy pouted up at him.

"But I'll miss all the fun," he complained. He lifted his arms for emphasis but only succeeded in straining the muscles too far as he hissed painfully. "Ow, ow, ow…"

"Just go back to bed."

"Don't want to."

"_Luffy_."

"_Sanji_."

The dark-haired boy grinned wolfishly at Sanji, who only stared back at his captain evenly. In between pondering the day's events and worrying for Luffy on a subliminal level, the blond had reached his limits. He reached over and grabbed Luffy's ear in his hand and dragged the loudly protesting boy back to bed. Sanji then all but threw Luffy onto the mattress.

"Sleep," he ordered tersely.

Luffy sat up on the bed. He was not attired in his usual outfit, having discarded the red shirt and cutup jeans for a white tank and pants. His bandages went around his entire torso and arms—Sanji could still see the image of Luffy thrashing around wildly as Chopper wrapped them. The expression on his face now, though, was not of pain. He stared at Sanji with curiosity and perhaps a little fear.

"Are you mad, Sanji?" he asked meekly.

Sanji almost laughed. Instead, he walked back towards the balcony, pausing at the doorway. The cigarette was left hanging loosely between two fingers. "Now why would you think that?" he said, his tone clipped.

"Well…you just don't look happy. And you didn't answer my question," was Luffy's reply, ignorant and carefree yet carrying something deeper underneath the naivety.

"You could have died you know," Sanji said tonelessly. He looked at Luffy, his own face hidden by the darkness. But he could see the other boy perfectly. The moon's rays had finally reached his side of the room. And as expected, Luffy was shrugging carelessly.

"I'm ready for the sacrifice," he said simply.

It was those words that made Sanji mad sometimes. For the most part, he generally agreed with Luffy. To give up your life to the sea, he held the same dream and sentiment. But this time, those words filled Sanji with anger. Perhaps it was because he still felt guilty for yelling at Luffy—and perhaps it was because he knew that Luffy, by normal standards, should have been mad at _him_ but was not. The boy seemed deliriously happy, and Sanji could not fathom it. By nature, Luffy was an optimistic fool, but his cheerfulness now seemed tainted by something darker—something that Brief had failed to explain.

"I'm sorry," Sanji said suddenly, uncrossing his arms and dropping the cigarette. He smashed it under his foot and heard a faint hiss as the light went out. "I shouldn't have blamed you for everything before. It wasn't your fault."

Luffy stared at him blankly. Then he brightened up. "Ooh, that? I completely forgot about it. Don't worry, don't worry," he said, laughing.

Sanji frowned. "You seemed hurt by what I said and I want to apologize. Don't brush it off so easily."

"But it's all right."

"No, it isn't."

"It _is_, though. I don't even remember half of what happened before," laughed Luffy. He sat cross-legged on the bed, his hands placed in his lap as he tottered side-to-side. "It doesn't matter anyway. Why do you care so much?"

The words fell from Sanji's lips before he even thought of them. "Because I hurt you."

Luffy took his words into consideration for a moment. "Well…I guess you did hurt me—but I don't care as long as you're all right," he said after a short break. He smiled at Sanji. "As long as everyone is here I'm fine!"

Sanji's frown deepened. It was obvious that something more had happened than what Brief had said. He knew they were taken in by the Baron and almost killed by a carnivorous flower and that Luffy had saved them before they were permanently digested—but he could not understand what Luffy meant by his words. Here. Sanji was mystified by its usage.

"Of course everyone's here, Luffy. Where else would we be?" he asked cautiously.

At once Luffy's eyes darkened. "I'll never take you guys for granted. Never," he promised in a tone that was all too serious for someone like their captain. Luffy looked at Sanji once again. "I don't care if you hurt me with words or fists. Nothing is worse than being alone."

Silence ensued. Luffy continued staring at Sanji with that hard look in his eyes—one he usually reserved only for battle. This time he wielded it relentlessly against the blond. Sanji tried to grasp what Luffy was implying. Yet somehow, he still could not—and probably would never—understand what his captain was saying. It was times like these that forced Sanji to look at Luffy in a different light. The boy was headstrong, loud, and completely idiotic most of the times, but then he also possessed a depth that made him appear wiser than all their years combined—a paradox that never ceased to fascinate Sanji.

"You're talking as if we all died or something," murmured Sanji as he lit up a new smoke. While he fumbled with his lighter, he missed the pained look flash across Luffy's face. When Sanji looked up again, the other boy was smiling.

"I'll never let any of you die," he said brightly.

"You're not making any sense, captain," Sanji commented airily, blowing out a smoke.

Luffy grinned. "I'm making perfect sense to me."

Sanji raised an eyebrow. "Still…I'm sorry," he said again. Something in him refused to leave Luffy until he got his point across—but what his point was, Sanji did not know yet.

"Okay, okay, I forgive you! Now can we go downstairs? Is there meat? I want meat!"

As Luffy made room to stand up, Sanji appeared at his side immediately, taking hold of his wrist and keeping him in place. The younger boy looked at him woefully. "_Please, please, _Sanji? I'm a lot better now—and besides, food will make me heal faster!" he reasoned.

But the way Sanji's eyes bored into him made Luffy stop. His lips drew into a thin line as he regarded the older boy with some confusion. Then Sanji spoke.

"What happened?"

He knew that Luffy would understand what he meant by his question. The dark-haired boy was a free spirit, but that did not mean he disregarded everything around him. And Luffy had always been able to read people uncommonly well—Sanji no exception. So the blond only waited for his answer. Luffy could pretend and dodge all he wanted, but Sanji was feeling particularly aggressive right now. He would not let Luffy go. He would get his explanation.

For several minutes all either one of them could do was stare at each other. Sanji still held Luffy's wrist tightly in his hand, and the boy made no motion to free himself. Then finally, the blond released his grip and waited for Luffy to speak. But the latter only allowed his hand to fall back into his lap, head bowed low. Sanji continued to wait. He would wait no matter what.

"You died."

The quiet admission would have escaped Sanji's ears if he had not been so attentively waiting for such a thing. But when the sentence registered in his mind, his bafflement only increased. But he decided to let Luffy speak again without interference.

And when he did, the words were hollow.

"The Baron said you were all dead. I believed him. And I wanted to die—I would've let him kill me if Brief hadn't come at the last second."

It was then that Sanji realized the impact of the entire experience on Luffy. And everything came together at once. The unadulterated happiness at seeing them, the laughing and smiling even when Nami scolded him before, and the despair that laced his tone now as he confessed. Sanji put out his cigarette.

"Well damn."

He had wished for an explanation, and he had received it. But Sanji only felt his guilt double. He pushed his hands into his pockets and tilted his head to the side awkwardly. "Dying from being eaten by a flower, now that's irony for you," he said, shaking his head a little. "I don't know about Marimo, but none of us would die that shamefully, Luffy."

His captain finally raised his head, a silly grin sprawled across his face. "Yeah, I know," he said. However, he promptly became serious again, his eyes growing distant. "But…it was scary. If you were all dead then it would've been my fault. I would've never forgiven myself. It's a good thing you were still alive, though! I don't think I'd ever been that scared or mad in my entire life!" With his last couple of sentences Luffy returned to his normal self. He beamed at Sanji.

"You're such a liar."

Sanji scowled at Luffy. He was disgusted by the boy's selflessness. But most of all he was disgusted with himself for putting all the blame on Luffy in the first place. Sanji knew that his own words had added an unnecessary burden on his captain. To discover your crew was dead was one thing—Luffy would have been crushed, but his fighting spirit would still be intact—but to believe yourself responsible for the death of your crewmates was another thing altogether. Sanji had not realized the repercussions his words would have in the future. Luffy would have died because of the needless guilt placed in his head by Sanji. And they would all be dead now.

Luffy stared wide-eyed at the blond. "I'm not lying."

Sanji did not respond. He walked over to the balcony door again and this time stepped out into the open air. He knew, without hesitation, that Luffy would follow. It was in his nature to abide by curiosity's will. When he heard the soft padding of bare feet against wooden floor, Sanji leaned forward on the edge of the marble scaffold. Luffy appeared by his side, peering over him with intrigue.

"_Sanjiiii_," he began, "why are you so mad? Look!"

The blond glanced over despite himself and saw Luffy extend his nostrils down to his jaw with two index fingers. A faint smile crossed his face before he smothered it down, frowning at Luffy instead. He took a moment to gather his breath. "If any of us were to ever die… It would never be your fault. So don't go sacrificing your life in vain like that ever again. It would dishonor our memories," he said sullenly.

Luffy stared at him a while longer. Then he sighed deeply and placed his elbows on the balcony's edge. "You're still going on about that? Let's move onto a happier topic. I don't like talking about depressing things," he said, sticking out his chin. He tilted his head back to the sky. "Look, look, Sanji! See those stars over there? They look like you and Zoro fighting!" Luffy began laughing heartily.

"Or Nami-san in a bikini."

"Eh? No way! That's you and Zoro!"

"_I _see Nami-san."

"You need to get your eyes checked!"

"I'm amazed that you actually see something besides meat for once, _captain_."

"Oh, oh, there's Robin! See? She's reading a book!"

"Well…I'll agree with you on that one."

Sanji smiled a little as Luffy started pointing out other miscellaneous constellations concocted by his own imagination.

"And there's Smoker chasing me in Loguetown! Remember when we got captured in Arabasta?"

Luffy's laughter filled his ears. Sanji arched an eyebrow. It was astounding how happy one could be. He had never encountered anyone quite like Luffy in his short lifetime—and he probably never would. Luffy belonged in his own category. There were no other people like him. He lived by his own standards, listening to nothing else but his own heart. Sanji envied that about him sometimes. Most people tried to take on a semblance of normalcy—even Sanji himself had adapted somewhat to society's orders, mentioning his dream of All Blue to only a select few—but Luffy paraded his ambitions with thoughtless abandon. Perhaps that was why the rest of the Straw Hats followed him so loyally. Because in Luffy lied the hope and power to believe in the unimaginable—to _do_ the unimaginable—and still get away with it unscathed. Sanji smiled to himself.

"We would never abandon you voluntarily," he said to himself.

"I know!"

Blinking, Sanji turned his head and saw Luffy grinning at him. The blond gazed at him in bewilderment. He had never meant for the other boy to hear him—yet somehow, Luffy had once again managed to catch him off guard. Sanji chided himself gently. He really should have known better. Luffy was Luffy—a hidden figure that emerged from the darkness when he thought it required. Normally, that was in combat. But Luffy had surprised Sanji enough today for him to learn that the younger boy was always _there_, if not always clear.

Sanji chuckled under his breath and reached over to grab Luffy by the collar of his shirt. When the boy was mere inches away from him, he looked into his eyes.

"_I _would never abandon you voluntarily," he muttered before catching Luffy's mouth with his own. The younger boy did not even protest or seem surprised. Sanji knew he would not be. He knew, before his own heart even knew, that Luffy had been expecting it. The touch was soft and gentle. Sanji had experienced many women, played around with some men, but never felt anything quite as wonderful as this. He felt Luffy smiling against him and pulled away slowly. "You scoundrel."

Luffy wrapped his arms around him tightly. "I knew you would figure it out eventually."

Sanji then lifted Luffy into his arms. Surprised, the dark-haired boy clung onto his neck in alarm.

"Wha—?"

"You should be resting. Chopper would never let me hear the end of it if he found out you were standing and walking around," interjected Sanji lightly.

"But I don't hurt anymore—ouch!"

Sanji eyed the boy in his arms with amusement. "You're worse at lying than Usopp. Don't even bother."

"Mean Sanji!" cried Luffy. He then pulled on the blond's tie, unraveled it, and then clutched it in his hand victoriously. "HA!"

The blond merely placed Luffy in his bed and tucked the blankets around him calmly. Luffy watched on with some resentment as Sanji then pulled the tie from his grip. He unbuttoned the top of his shirt and then let the tie hang limply around his neck.

"Thanks. I was beginning to feel a bit stuffy in here."

Luffy stuck out his tongue.

Sanji smiled darkly. "I can think of better things to do with your tongue, Luffy."

The tongue retreated. "Pervert."

A quick thought entered Sanji's mind. He was in love with Nami. And he had just kissed his own captain. What exactly did that make him now? He toyed with the idea for a while. His mind could come up with many excuses—but his heart rejected them all. The true reasons were something Sanji both knew and did not know. And he was not ready to divulge them yet. Maybe later. For now he just wanted to enjoy the moment.

Leaning over Luffy, Sanji placed a soft kiss on his forehead, followed by one on the space below his jaw, one on the corner of his mouth, and then finally one on his lips. The final one lasted longer and was infinitely sweeter than their first kiss. Sanji pulled back a bit and saw Luffy's eyes gleaming in the silver light.

"What was that?" he asked, sufficiently killing the moment with his bluntness.

Sanji laughed quietly to himself. "You're a poor romantic, Luffy."

He stepped away from the bed and lit up his last cigarette. He would have to go around looking for a pack later. An extravagant resort like this was bound to have a fine collection.

As he began to leave, Luffy's voice reached him.

"Save me some food."

A slow smile made its way onto Sanji's face as he read both meanings of the sentence.

"You don't even need to ask."

Sanji could almost feel Luffy's smile as he left the room. Once he was out in the hallway, he allowed himself the small satisfaction of lightly smirking before going his way. Today was a good day. With the drama behind him, Sanji began feeling his normal self again. The inner questions and speculations would be saved for another time. He had enough of that tonight already. At present, he would abandon his logic and fly by the rest of the evening—very much, he thought fondly, like a certain captain he knew who lived without inhibition on a daily basis.

"_You were upstairs the entire time, Sanji-kun?"_

"_Yes, I was, Nami-san! Did you miss me?"_

"_Oi, oi, why are your clothes all rumpled?"_

"_You didn't get into a fight with Luffy did you? He's hurt! He needs to rest!"_

"_Calm down, Chopper. I wasn't fighting him. We merely…reached an understanding."_

"_Violent cook."_

"_Like you're any better, shithead swordsman."_

"_An understanding? Did you two have an argument?"_

"_Don't worry, Robin-chan. It's all settled."_

"_What were you fighting about?"_

"_Sorry, Chopper. That's between me and that crazy captain of ours. And to be quite honest, I don't even know if 'fighting' is the proper term for what we did."_

"_EH? What are you implying, Sanji?"_

"…_Don't think anything nasty!"_

**

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End


	2. The Outsider

_Much more lighthearted and shorter than the first story. I had a bit of fun writing Luffy in this one. It seems I prefer writing Sanji and Luffy's relationship in a more subtle and quiet manner. I suck at full-blown romance. _xD_ I'll give it a try, though. It should be fun for future stories._

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**Abandon**

_The Outsider_

* * *

Luffy was watching Zoro train again. It was interesting, he decided. The swordsman was bulkier than him or Sanji or Usopp, but he certainly still did not look like the type to possess _that_ much strength. It was like watching a shrimp lift a whale—a whale like Laboon, Luffy's mind added. The young captain laughed merrily to himself at the thought.

Zoro glanced at his captain, who had interrupted his almost meditative training with his laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing!" chirped Luffy brightly, bidding with his hand for Zoro to continue.

The swordsman tried to go back to his training, but with Luffy's presence now felt he found himself distracted. Sighing, Zoro put down his weights for a break. His captain's eyes never left him. Zoro was beginning to feel a bit irked.

"What is it?" he snapped.

Luffy blinked innocently. "Everyone else is busy," he pointed out. Then he began to complain—profusely. "Nami's drawing maps again, Usopp's inventing something, Chopper's working on a cure for all diseases, Robin's reading, and Sanji kicked me out of the kitchen because he said I was too noisy and he needed to concentrate on making dinner! The sea's all calm and there's nothing to catch. I'm bored, Zorooo!"

"Go play by yourself then."

Luffy scowled. "That's no fun, though!" He brightened suddenly. "I know! I can help you train!"

Zoro felt a certain dread descend on him when he heard those words. He gripped his katana tightly. "Uh…no, that's okay, Luffy. I prefer to do these things alone after all…"

"Come on! Let's spar!" exclaimed the younger boy, getting up excitedly. "You could use your katana too!"

For a second, Zoro stared at him. "Are you serious?"

Luffy cocked his head to the side. "Why not? You're not going to cut me. And fighting me will definitely be a better workout than lifting weights!" he boasted proudly.

Zoro managed a smile, shaking his head. "Sometimes you surprise me," he muttered to himself before pulling out Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri. He placed Wadou on the side. "Only two this time."

"Okay. I won't stretch then. Let's start!"

The rubbery boy gathered himself into a defensive stance, eyeing Zoro playfully. The swordsman watched him for a bit. The only time he had ever really fought Luffy was back on Whiskey Peak—it had been an exhilarating battle filled with unpredictable moves. Zoro had seen his captain fight on many occasions, but Luffy always managed to surprise him still. They were only sparring this time, but Zoro did not intend to give him any slack. As arrogant as the words were, Luffy _was_ right. He would definitely be a bigger challenge than lifting weights. And Zoro knew Luffy would not be going easy on him either. Stretching played a major factor in his fighting, but the boy possessed a great amount of strength and speed naturally. Zoro looked forward to it.

He made the first move. Lunging forward, Sandai Kitetsu slashed through the air before Luffy's face. Zoro was wielding the blades in reverse, but they would still no doubt hurt if they landed an attack. Luffy grinned at the anticipation and dodged Zoro's strikes smoothly. He somersaulted and ran across Merry's deck with Zoro following close behind. Luffy laughed. This was so much better than watching the sea until dinner.

Studying Zoro closely, Luffy began to wonder if he could ever fight Sanji like this. He had never fought the blond before. Luffy was curious to see what moves the cook would pull on him. Sanji kicked hard—he had been on the receiving end of his attacks enough times to know that—but what else would Sanji do? Luffy's head span at the possibilities. He was jerked out of his reverie once Zoro managed to land a rather painful hit to his side, though. Luffy hissed in pain and leapt away agilely.

Zoro was relentless. He attacked and attacked and attacked. Luffy eventually grew bored of it, though. So he threw in some punches and kicks of his own. Zoro met them dead-on. They were completely even in this fight. The dying light of the sun provided an obstacle, though. Luffy tried not to crash into anything on Going Merry. He knew Zoro was doing the same. Looking at the horizon, Luffy thought to himself. _It should almost be time for dinner… _He smacked his lips eagerly. _Food, food, food! Let's get this over with soon! _

The captain caught himself when he reached the end of the ship, stopping before he collided into the wooden railing. Luffy turned around and saw Zoro prepping an attack. Glancing around quickly for an escape, he spotted the rope Usopp had left hanging by the edge of the ship. It was tied to the mast and had been used by him and Luffy in the hopes of catching some large prey. Chopper had been their unwilling bait. The captain of the Straw Hat Pirates smirked to himself. As soon as Zoro flew at him, he jumped over the ledge, grabbing hold of the rope tightly as he fell.

"Woo hoo!"

That was all Zoro heard before he saw his captain go overboard. "What the hell!" he cursed. He heard no splashes, though, and frowned. "Oi…Luffy—"

"Dinner's ready, asshole. What the hell are you doing? Playing with yourself?"

Zoro turned around abruptly. Going Merry's cook was glaring at him, the light from his cigarette glowing ominously as the dusky evening settled in. Zoro narrowed his eyes. "I was _training_, Love Cook—but I don't think you would really know anything about that, would you?" he countered.

Sanji laughed darkly. "Want to test that theory out, bastard?"

"I think Luffy went overboard."

"What—!"

Sputtering for a second, Sanji stared wide-eyed at Zoro, who had gone back to look over the ship's end. "But I didn't hear him falling in. I just saw him jump over. Where the hell did he go?" he contemplated to himself.

Sanji narrowed his gaze. "Why did he jump in the first place?"

Zoro looked at him obliviously. "We were sparring."

"_Sparring_? You…were sparring with Luffy."

"Yeah. It's not that weird. He was more bored if anything and he insisted on helping me train."

Sanji smiled sadistically. "I can imagine."

For a single second, Zoro felt that his life was in odd danger. He shook his head to rid the thought. He had seen Sanji mad before—hell, he was the one who usually _caused_ it—but the look in the cook's eyes was utterly pernicious. He seemed much angrier than he usually was. Zoro could not comprehend it. He had done nothing out of the ordinary.

"Aren't you going to look for him?" The cook's voice sounded menacing.

Zoro shrugged, ignoring the blond's disgruntlement. "I don't really think he's in trouble. Probably playing another game of his…"

"ZOROOOOO!"

"Oh shit."

The swordsman caught a single glimpse of red before finding himself thrust into the wooden planks of Going Merry by a force known only as Luffy. The breath was knocked out of Zoro as he landed on the floor, Luffy sprawled across his stomach in a ball of laughter.

"You didn't even see me climbing up the sails, Zoro! You're bliiiiind!" the younger boy exclaimed in obvious amusement. He sat up on Zoro, watching the swordsman gasp breathlessly. "You okay?"

"Get off him, Luffy," directed Sanji coolly.

Luffy turned around in surprise. When he saw the cook, his face burst into a wide grin. "Sanji! You're here too! Did you want to spar also? Sorry we started before you," he said sympathetically.

"I came out because dinner is ready," replied Sanji as pried Luffy off the wheezing Zoro. The blond cast a cold look at the swordsman. "Don't think I'm helping you out, shitty samurai."

Zoro raised his middle finger at him in an emphatic gesture.

"Dinner's ready? Yeah! I'm starving! Let's goooo!"

"First, Luffy, why were you sparring with Marimo?"

At this point, Zoro resigned himself to taking a nap right there on the floor. He could care less about what Sanji and Luffy spoke about, but his ears still managed to perk when he heard himself mentioned.

"You went to _Zoro_? There was no one else?"

"But you kicked me out of the kitchen! And everyone was busy!"

"I don't want you alone with that good-for-nothing swordsman, Luffy."

Zoro began feeling mildly annoyed.

"Why? He's my best friend!"

"I don't trust him with you."

Luffy began laughing. "Sanji, you're such a dork! You shouldn't have kicked me out of the kitchen then!"

"That's the past now, Luffy."

"Well, then isn't me sparring with Zoro the past too? Come on, I'm hungry!"

At this point, Zoro had began watching the entire exchange with a curious stare. Sanji and Luffy were completely unaware of the audience they had and were talking as if they were alone. Zoro saw the masked expression in the cook's eyes as he spoke. Luffy was as unperturbed as ever, seeming undeterred by the guarded front Sanji displayed. Zoro narrowed his eyes in question at their behavior towards each other. _It looks almost as if… _He let his thoughts stop there, though. It was impossible.

"Did you actually jump overboard?"

Luffy grinned. "Don't worry, I grabbed onto a rope. I'm not _that_ stupid you know," he chided jokingly.

Sanji cracked a smile. "I don't know about that, captain. You have your moments," he drawled.

"Shut up!"

"That's rich coming from a guy who's never quiet."

Zoro had to snicker silently at that one.

Luffy crossed his arms huffily over his chest. "Dinner," he ordered sulkily.

The cook took off Luffy's straw hat and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Right away, captain," he said with a smile that spoke blatantly of endearment. He then took some steps away from Luffy before turning back and offering his hand. "You better hurry up before Usopp and Chopper eat everything."

Luffy jumped at once and grabbed Sanji's hand, allowing the blond to pull him close. "Let's hurry, Sanji! I have to save my meat!" he cried.

Chuckling, Sanji guided Luffy back to the galley, their hands never separating.

For a while, the ship's deck was silent. The sun had gone down completely and the sea breeze was refreshing and cool. From inside the galley, hearty laughs were sounded by Chopper as he watched Usopp and Luffy fool around with their food. Shouts were issued from Nami and then later by Sanji as he yelled at the two for playing at the table. Robin could not be heard from outside, but she was seen smiling in enjoyment at their captain and sharpshooter's antics.

Zoro lied along the deck leisurely, simply listening to the proceedings known as dinner on Going Merry. He folded his arms under his head and watched the stars, replaying the earlier events in his head. Luffy and Sanji. He snorted.

"Well damn. That explains a lot."

The swordsman stood up and headed off to the kitchen. He was getting hungry.

* * *

**End**


	3. Once Upon A Time

_This turned out a lot sappier than I intended. Good God, what's happening to me._

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* * *

**

**Abandon**

_Once Upon A Time_

* * *

Sanji could recall with vivid detail the bedtime tales his mother narrated to him when he was little. Of course he had not been one to take them literally—even as a child he had been a pragmatist. Rather, it was the soft, melodic voice of his mother that sometimes haunted him at nights. Stories were stories. Most of the fairytales she read to him were virtuous parables designed to teach little boys like Sanji how to live their life properly. At this point in his life, though, Sanji did not care much for morality. He was a pirate after all. The only lessons that stuck with him were the ones about pride and honor. And chivalry. Sanji had always been a bit of a romantic at heart.

From what he could gather, his mother had been a strong woman. Perhaps it was from her he learned to respect the female kind. Sanji's childhood was a blur for him. His parents had not been the richest of people and he could remember having to scrounge for food on more than one occasion. Then one morning his mother woke him up and took him to the harbor where the most glamorous ship Sanji had seen in his life up until then lied waiting. His mother took his hand and led their way to the front where the ship's captain stood. There was an exchanging of words—nothing but muffled voices in Sanji's young, inattentive mind—and suddenly Sanji found himself being led up onto deck. He remembered confusion—a painful stab of betrayal—and the fear that penetrated him. The next second found Sanji in the kitchen, the cooks glancing at him casually. "New boy, eh? This is your life now. I hope you like cleaning dishes."

Over the years, Sanji's memories of his former life drifted away. Nowadays at best he could dream up a faded image of his mother in his mind; his father was nothing more but a silhouetted figure against the beaming light. It was times like these, when he was at complete peace and peering at the calm sea during his watch, that the ghosts would come back to haunt him. _Once upon a time. _Sanji smiled slightly. The tale of Montblanc Norland had been told to him by his mother. _Never lie, Sanji. It'll get you into trouble. _An age-old lesson that he had never forgotten, but could never remember where he had learned it from until now. Sanji breathed out slowly, the frigid air tightening around him painfully. Damn Usopp for stealing the last spare blanket.

He could not really understand why old memories came to surface now. Then again, when he thought about it for a moment, Sanji could hazard a good guess. It was his conversation with his captain that prompted all this talk about fairytales and family. Sanji had never once mentioned his forgotten past. But he was not the only one to have done so. The whereabouts of Zoro's family were also a bit of a mystery. But Sanji knew that if questioned, the Marimo would probably give some kind of reply. Zoro was the type to keep silent about a lot of things. If you asked him directly, though, he had no problem giving an answer. He was just never much of an initiator.

Sanji, on the other hand, kept his family to himself. Zeff was the foremost parental figure in his life—he had no need to discuss the other family that had left him. Perhaps it was out of bitterness. He had been abandoned—even if it was for his own sake—he had still been left behind. Sanji deluded himself with that notion for a long time until he had that dream this morning where he saw his mother crying as she waved him off. Only the dream did not seem so much a dream as it did a lost memory. That led to a bit of frustration that he carried with him throughout the day. Even Zoro had sensed it and stayed away from him. Only their blissfully ignorant captain had failed to pay any heed. And it was today, of all goddamn days, that Luffy took it upon himself to annoy the hell out of Sanji when all he wanted was to be left alone. Breakfast and lunch had been loud and tumultuous—Sanji could not even count how many times he had thrown his captain out of the galley before finding the boy back again, laughing gaily at his cook's disgruntlement. But it was before dinner that provided the most interesting moment of the day.

_"Sanji, I'm making a snowman! Look, look!"_

_Luffy bounded forward as Sanji walked out of the galley. The crew had docked at a winter island and their captain had wasted no time in hurrying to play with the "soft, white stuff." The blond barely looked at the lumpy shape of snow at Luffy's hands before continuing his way. "Maybe later," he muttered, cursing to himself as he drew out an empty pack from his pocket. Such was his luck._

"_Don't be so boring! Come on!"_

_Suddenly, Sanji saw a rubbery hand latch around his wrist before finding himself being pulled back with alarming force as Luffy's arm retracted back to its owner on the deck below. Luffy laughed as Sanji crashed into the soft pile of snow. _

"_See? It's fun, right?"_

_The boy's laughter had only served in fueling Sanji's quickly arising anger and he snapped at his captain coldly. "I don't have time for any of these games, Luffy!" He stood up and began walking away when Luffy's voice caught him._

"_Sanji's sad." The blond froze. "You should play with snow. It'll make you feel better." Sanji looked at his captain over his shoulder. Luffy was collecting the snow and had just finished plopping an oddly shaped head onto his snowman's body when he caught Sanji's inquiring gaze. He grinned. "Told you it was fun!"_

_Sanji groaned, shaking his head. He supposed it was Luffy's overwhelming childlike aura, but somehow he could never find himself mad at the boy for long. He made his way back to his captain's position and sat back on his haunches, watching with some dismay at the progress of Luffy's snowman. _

"_We never got snow back at home. It's such a weird thing!" commented Luffy, leaning his head back to catch the falling snowflakes on his tongue. "It's water but it doesn't look like it. It's so pretty and white and fluffy! I wish the whole ocean was like this!"_

_At the mentioning of his home, Sanji looked at Luffy. "Do you ever miss your home?"_

"_Of course! Everyone there used to make fun of me—calling me a troublemaker when all I ever did was play around—but I love them and I know they love me," replied Luffy cheerfully. "I'll probably go back after I become the Pirate King and then the entire village will have a huuuuuge party!"_

_Sanji smiled a little. Then he took the plunge. "Do you miss your family?"_

_Luffy shot him a curious look, almost as if he was not sure he had heard the blond correctly. "Umm…well, we saw Ace not too long ago…"_

_"Is he your only family?"_

"_Nooo… But I haven't really spoken to… But yeah, I miss them!" Luffy grinned and went back to his snow gathering. "Do you miss yours?"_

_Sanji had expected the question to come. But even then he did not know what to say. He sighed and waved a hand dismissively. "Never really knew my parents enough to miss them," he replied honestly._

"_Really? Is that why you're sad? You wanted to know them better?"_

_Sometimes, Luffy's insight really astounded Sanji. He considered the younger boy's words. "Well… Heh. Maybe. But it's more like I'm wondering if I was wrong to be angry at my mother all these years for leaving me behind."_

_Luffy screwed up his nose and looked at Sanji with a deep frown. "Huh?"_

_Sanji chuckled to himself. Well, Luffy was insightful, not psychic. "Never mind, captain. Just talking to myself." He looked around the empty ship. "Anyway, where's everyone?"_

"_They went to town."_

"_Without us?"_

"_We're protecting the ship!"_

_Sanji shook his head and rummaged through his pocket, pulling out the empty pack. "I need a smoke," he murmured to himself. _

"_Smoking is bad, Sanji."_

_The blond looked at his captain. "Are you lecturing me about my health?" he asked nonchalantly. _

_Luffy laughed. "It's common sense!" he exclaimed. Then he eyed Sanji closely for a moment. "Sanji…you're like a knight."_

_This, Sanji could not help but crack up at. "A knight?" he repeated, laughing and shaking his head at the same time. His captain was a strange one all right._

_But Luffy was nodding along obliviously. "Yeah, you know like those fairytale stories where there's always a knight or a prince? You're like them. Except you smoke and you curse and you're really violent sometimes—especially around Zoro—but you're like that."_

_Sanji looked at his captain with an amused expression, his former tension temporarily lifted. "And what exactly is your point?"_

_Luffy thought to himself for a minute. Then shrugging, he stated offhandedly, "No point."_

"_Did your mother used to tell you stories to teach you those lessons? To be a good boy and never cry and act like a man?"_

"_No. Ace taught me that stuff."_

_For a second, Sanji could detect something hidden in his captain's answer that made him pause. Luffy carried on as usual, but there seemed something off about him now. Sanji sighed and stood up, brushing off his pants. _

"_I think I'll head to town for a bit too. Can I trust you to watch over the ship alone?"_

_Luffy nodded. "Of course!" _

_Sanji could not help but notice that the younger boy had avoided looking him in the eye as he replied. But like all mysterious things about Luffy, he left this one buried in the dark for the time being._

"If you miss them, why don't you find them?"

Blinking, Sanji snapped out of his reverie and looked below him. Luffy was watching him cheerfully, two thermoses in hand. The rubbery boy snapped back his left arm and launched it at the post where Sanji was located, and the blond moved away automatically as Luffy came flying up. When the captain landed without too much disturbance, he handed one of the thermoses to Sanji. The latter opened it with some caution and sniffed the liquid inside.

"Where'd you get this?"

"Robin gave it to me when I said I was going to visit you," Luffy answered. He opened his own and took a slow sip. "Mine is hot cocoa. Nami made it for me!"

"Nami-san is so kind…" Sanji took a sip of the hot coffee. "Ah, Robin-chan too."

Luffy nodded. "So are you?"

Sanji frowned. "What?"

"Are you going to look for your parents?"

"Who said I even wanted to look for them?"

"I don't know, but I think you'll feel better if you do."

Sanji sat down on the cold floor. The watch post really did not allow for much movement and Luffy was already practically breathing on top of him—not that he really minded. "That's what _you_ think, Luffy. Just forget about it. It's not even important. It'll disappear from my mind eventually," he said.

"No way. Family is important. You shouldn't forget about it so easily."

His captain was staring at him intently. Sanji calmly gazed back at him, gauging Luffy's reaction carefully. "I'm not concerned with my parents, Luffy. I was five-years-old when they disappeared from my life. To be honest, I don't even know why they came back now. Maybe it's some anniversary date that I subconsciously remembered." Sanji snickered and lit up a smoke. Relief.

"So you don't care about them anymore?"

Sanji looked sharply at Luffy. "They're a part of my past that I don't even remember much about. If we're destined to meet again, so be it. If they're dead, so be it."

"Then why were you so sad?"

"Sadness and surly pondering are two different things, Luffy," replied Sanji coolly, spotting the confusion in the younger boy's eyes.

"Surly pondering? What's that?"

"It means over thinking something completely insignificant."

Luffy laughed. "That sounds stupid."

Sanji grinned a bit as well. "It is," he concurred.

"You're my family."

Surprised by the boy's sudden confession, Sanji stared at his captain in bewilderment. Luffy giggled to himself, hugging the thermos close to his chest.

"My real family's history is a little crazy. Ace is the only one I'm close to. But that doesn't matter because you guys are my family now. You, Zoro, Usopp, and Chopper are like…four extra brothers. Nami is like an older sister and Robin's like an auntie."

Luffy squeaked a bit in shock when Sanji leaned over and kissed him—his first real gesture of affection since the day began. Luffy met Sanji's lead with enthusiasm. He did not like the way Sanji always distanced himself when he was feeling down. He was glad his cook seemed to be feeling better now.

"So Luffy…that makes our relationship incestuous doesn't it?"

"Hmm?" The young captain looked confused. "What's that mean?"

Sanji smirked. "Imagine Ace kissing you instead of me."

"Eh? Ace…kiss… _Sanji_!" Luffy wailed as he buried himself into Sanji's warm embrace. He snuggled deep into the blond's hold until he was comfortable and then looked up at his cook. "No, you're not my brother, Sanji," he began seriously. He gave one his more charming smiles. "You're my knight."

_Once upon a time…_

Sanji kissed Luffy's forehead, smiling in amusement as the boy squirmed around playfully. A long time ago, he remembered his mother reading him to sleep, her goodnight kiss always placed gently on his forehead before he drifted off to the world of dreams. That time had come and gone, and now he sat here, perched atop a snowy caravel ship with his captain lying contentedly in his arms. Perhaps his mother had implanted those early ideas of romance and chivalry into him, but that did not matter anymore. What mattered now was that he was old enough to listen to his own advices—he did not need his mother; he did not need his father; he did not need _an origin_. All he needed was this ship, its crewmembers, and the captain that commanded their lives—his life. That was all the happily ever after he required.

**

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**End**


	4. The Lonely Heart

_Hi, yes, I'm still writing for OP. :P Sort of a really belated Halloween-esque fic. Lol. Not really sure what to think of this one actually. It kind of confuses myself. Spoilers for very recent chapters of the manga, but not too bad. If you know who the afro skeleton is, you're fine. _

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**Abandon**

_The Lonely Heart_

--

It started out with a whisper.

Luffy wasn't the idiot everyone proclaimed him to be. He was instinctive and carefree, wild and reckless. He didn't think about consequences most of the time because he didn't care for them; he had faith in himself and his crew to survive the worst.

But what he lacked in common sense, he more than made up for with intuition. There were times when he knew things—things that no one else seemed to notice. Perhaps it came from his life as a child, growing up and raised under the strict fashion of his grandfather. Living and training in nature, you learn to listen to the stillness. So Luffy was the first to notice anything amiss when they landed on the island.

It began with a whisper, a faint warning in his head, a chill in his spine that practically screamed at him to leave the paradise. Luffy had gotten these warnings before, but he usually ignored them because he knew what his crew could handle. This time, though… He almost hesitated. But Nami had leapt ashore and Sanji had followed her blindly. Everyone else fell in after that. Only Luffy remained on the ship—the last person to leave. No one noticed his indecision, and Luffy could only shrug and hope for the best.

_I remember once, a story about a girl. She had everything in the world except friends. _

"Luffy! Why aren't you eating?"

Silence at the campfire. Luffy looked up at Sanji, his cook's face a mask of bewilderment and perhaps a little concern.

The day was spent in wondrous exploration. The crew had separated into groups and Luffy had decided to venture off alone. At least, he would have been alone had he not crossed paths with a wandering Zoro halfway through his ponderings. Sensing the tension in his captain, Zoro had decided to join Luffy. The latter had said nothing.

Now at the campfire, smiling deceptively at his cook, Luffy picked up his bowl and devoured the meal so completely and wholesomely, demanded seconds so convincingly, that everyone relaxed. Everyone except Zoro. And perhaps Sanji, though the blond gave nothing away. The night fell away to comfortable silence and everyone went to bed peacefully. It was the first time in a long while they had been able to camp out. It was a much deserved break and Luffy couldn't deny his crew this simple pleasure. He fell into a light slumber under their soft breaths.

_She was a sweet girl, but lonely. There were no other children for her to play with. _

It was meant to be a short vacation but somehow a week had passed before Luffy's eyes. He had grown accustomed to the cold nagging in his heart and had learned to almost entirely block it out. His crew was happy. He had never seen Zoro look so at ease or Robin smile so much. It was their happiness that tethered him. It was their laughter that soothed him. Never did the rest of the crew realize how quiet and distant their captain had become.

Until the night came.

And Luffy screamed in his sleep.

"…Luffy! Dammit, wake up, Luffy!"

Dark eyes fluttered open in wide shock. The vision before him blurred into focus and Luffy was staring into Sanji's own blue gaze. "What…?" Luffy blinked dumbly at his cook.

Sanji sighed and leaned away from Luffy, shaking his head. "You were having a nightmare, idiot. You don't remember?" he explained, lighting up a fresh smoke.

Luffy scrunched up his face, trying to recall the reasons for his heightened pulse and the cold sweat running down his neck, but he came up with nothing. He looked at Sanji. "No, I don't remember."

They went back to sleep, but Sanji sent a reminder to himself to watch over Luffy. He forgot it the next day.

_She traveled all around the world trying to find companions, but no one would befriend her. They only used her, and she became angry._

Luffy spent most of the days on his own. He strayed close to cliff edges a lot of the time, but no one was ever around to watch out for him, or yell at him for being careless. But Luffy could take care of himself. Most of the times. He only wondered why he felt so empty when everyone else was so happy. He had suggested they depart soon, but was only met with vacant stares. Luffy obliged his crew once again. A few more days perhaps. He could survive that much.

The night came again and Luffy began to sleepwalk. He rose from the bed pile and gracefully made his way across his sleeping companions. But on his way he accidentally knocked Sanji's foot. A fighter, no matter how much at peace, never forgot his place, and Sanji jerked awake. Half-asleep and barely conscious, he watched his captain enter the tropical forest. I'm just dreaming, Sanji thought to himself as he rolled over and shut his eyes without too much effort. A few minutes later, however, a quiet splash quickly alerted him to wakefulness. Sanji sat up abruptly and looked around the bed pile. Seven heads. No straw hat.

Sanji ran into the forest heedless of the cutting branches and thorns. He stopped once he reached the end of a cliff and looked down. It was a drop of about thirty feet. There was nothing else in the air, only the insect calls and exotic scents. Sanji dove neatly and the icy water was a true awakening for him. Why were they still on this island? Why was Luffy so withdrawn? Why were they all behaving so strangely? Sanji asked himself these questions as he searched for his captain underwater, trying to distract himself from growing panic. Then he spotted red and he swam blindly towards it. Luffy was heavy; it seemed to Sanji like something was pulling on his captain, trying to keep him in the watery depths. Sanji gritted his teeth and kept forcing his way up. He wasn't going to let go of Luffy—never.

They emerged into the cool air, cleaner and smelling simply of the ocean. Sanji brought them to the shore and suddenly, a wave of spicy scents overwhelmed him. They were back on the island. Sanji took several deep breaths; it was intoxicating. Then he looked at his captain, his silent and motionless captain, and remembered. Sanji leaned over him and breathed. Luffy gave no response after several tries, and underneath the euphoria and strange lack of concern, Sanji was truly terrified. It took almost all his willpower to keep breathing into his captain, to not simply leave him and go back to join the rest. In the back of his mind, Sanji knew something was wrong but he couldn't question it. Couldn't form a word for it.

The strangled gasp from his captain was almost music to Sanji's ears. Helping Luffy sit up, Sanji ran a hand down his back soothingly. His own heart was racing but his mind was telling him to just _relax_. Sanji battled against himself and only looked at Luffy, focusing on him instead. The younger man coughed violently and was pale, but he grinned as he looked upon his cook. The sight took Sanji by surprise. He hadn't realized how long it had been since he'd seen Luffy smile.

"Thanks for saving me…again. How did I end up in the water, though?"

Sanji looked incredulously at his captain, all his conflictions pushed aside by the sight of Luffy's face. "You were…sleepwalking. I think. You've been acting weirdly, Luffy."

And to this, Luffy could only raise his eyebrow at Sanji. "Me? How about you and the others?" he shot back, so as a matter-of-factly that Sanji was baffled by the accusation, and couldn't think of a reply. The heavy calmness was descending on him again, and he found himself wondering why he was talking to Luffy.

As if sensing this, Luffy narrowed his gaze on Sanji, seeing for the first time what he had chosen to blindly ignore for the past week. There was something wrong. He couldn't deny that anymore. It was taking his crew and it had almost taken his life tonight. Luffy grabbed Sanji's hand and squeezed tightly.

"Oi, don't leave me here alone. I don't know what the heck's going on but I need some backup."

Sanji stirred and turned his attention to Luffy again. It was like fighting against sleep. "What? What do you mean?" he slurred. The pressure on his hand tightened and Sanji forced himself to concentrate. Deep down, he knew what Luffy meant but he it was almost impossible to fight back. He wondered how Luffy could withstand it.

"Sanji! I need you!"

It was the desperation in his captain's voice that brought Sanji back. He had never heard Luffy sound like that. Luffy was always sure, always headstrong. But now he was scared and he didn't know what to do. Sanji looked directly into Luffy's eyes and held both his hands tightly as an anchor.

"What do you sense, Luffy?" he asked urgently.

"Nothing. No…something. It's taking you all away from me, but how can I fight it? There's nothing here!"

"Luffy, you're the only one right now who can even think properly without wanting to knock your brain out into the ground. Which means you're the only who can figure this out."

"Sanji, I don't want you to leave me. I don't want everyone else to leave me."

"We won't. And trust me, if we do, it's not because we want to. But right now…it's getting really hard…to even remember why….I'm talking to…you."

"Sanji!"

The cook grabbed Luffy's face on either side and forced the words out of his mouth. "Remember, we're all counting on you, captain. Even if we may not seem like it, we're still here. You've just got to trust me on that."

Then Sanji retreated into himself and he was gazing at Luffy with a vapid grin on his face. "Ah, captain, why are we all wet? Did we go for a dive?" He rose and lit another cigarette. "It's such a great place, this island. Even the Marimo is less bothersome these days. We should stay longer…yeah. We should stay…"

Luffy watched as his cook wandered back to the campsite without so much as a glance behind him. He tried to remember Sanji's words. He wasn't alone. But it felt like he was.

_Eventually, the girl disappeared in a storm overseas. But her spirit was so powerful that it continued to haunt the living. Her desire to find friends, to keep them with her, was strong enough to inhabit an entire lonely island._

Racing through the jungle the next day, Luffy swore to himself. He was bleeding and bruised and he was sure some bones were broken, but that was nothing compared to the anger directed towards himself. He had tried to force them back to Sunny. But they had reacted badly. Luffy hadn't the heart to fight against them full strength—but they didn't hold the same mentality towards him. Against a mutinous crew, what captain could fight back? Especially when the crew wasn't even aware of what they were doing. Luffy could only run, and then he learned something new: The island was affecting him too. He was too hesitant, too unsure of himself. Luffy knew he had to get them out somehow.

Night fell and Luffy hid away in a secluded cave by the ocean. It was when he was closest to the waters he felt any semblance of normality. The influence extended over the land itself, but not the ocean—no power could hold sway over the Grand Line. Luffy gazed out at the full moon. This was a story he was sure he had heard somewhere before.

_There is an island on the Grand Line that one should avoid if possible. The roaming terrain is one that steals away crews, be them pirate or passenger ships. Captains are always the only survivors, their minds broken forever. What happens to those missing people, no one ever knows. The island hides well and none are ever heard from again._

Luffy watched them laze about the sand today. It was wrong and disturbing. He thought of a possible solution. It was an answer that suited Straw Hat Luffy perfectly. It was reckless and outright dangerous. It was the ultimate test of the bonds between himself and his crew. Because no matter what the island did to his nakama, Luffy believed they would always pull through for him. He had tried speaking to Sanji again that morning when the cook was alone. But none of Luffy's words would get through to him. At times there had been a glimmer of something, but then it would quickly disappear. The others were worse; they were utterly unreachable. Perhaps it was because Luffy had that one night with Sanji, where he had been himself for a brief period of time. And that was how Luffy got his idea.

His crew only got violent with him if he showed any outward signs of wanting to leave. But otherwise, they were complacent. It was sickening to see his nakama reduced to such brainless puppets. Luffy stood up and entered the forest with the sounds of his crew laughing trailing behind him.

He wondered why he hadn't done it earlier. It was the island's influence, he supposed. Luffy cracked his knuckles as he reached the center of the foliage, the sun peaking through long leaves and the heat rising unbearably. He launched his attack on nature. But it wasn't real, Luffy knew. The island was cursed. He felt no remorse as trees exploded into splinters. He knew he was treading through dangerous territories now. Luffy just prayed his crew would not arrive too soon. It barely took time to smite the forest down with Gear Third, but Luffy moved swiftly nonetheless. They were coming now. He took out a match and set a large branch on fire, spreading the embers around. With so much wood and dust, the entire site caught fire in no time. Luffy smiled darkly to himself.

There was turmoil and confusion. His crew looked torn between wanting to stop the fire and wanting to kill their captain. Luffy eyed them knowingly, presenting himself as a challenge. It was Zoro who made the first move and Luffy flew on his feet. It was working. He could see the conflict in their eyes; he glimpsed traces of hesitation in Zoro's eyes as the swordsman chased him. Luffy bit back a grin. As he ran, he continued spreading the fire. Luffy wished Ace was with him now.

He was at the cliff side again. Luffy stood over the edge, gasping for breath and turned around expectantly when he heard a branch snap. But it wasn't Zoro who met his stare.

"You're destroying our happiness, Luffy. Why?"

His cook's voice was deadened, flat, and cold. There was anguish in Sanji's eyes.

Luffy took a single step backwards, feeling the cool breeze sweep below him. "You've got to break this yourself. I can only help. I just need one of you to come back to me. Only one—and everyone else will follow. Are you going to help me?"

Sanji was sure he had never heard his captain talk like this before. There was a nagging in the back of his mind and for some reason he felt his heart drop. But all he could say was, "You're insane."

To which Luffy only grinned at, before falling back in a graceful arch. It was like watching something in slow motion. Sanji could capture every millisecond of that moment; his feet wanted to move but he only remained rooted in place, a dumb look of shock on his face. Sanji knew what Luffy was doing. He knew it instinctively before the younger man had said anything. Sanji moved towards the edge and watched as Luffy hit the ocean water with barely a splash. For several seconds he could only stare. He heard feet scuffling behind him.

"Where did he go?"

It was Zoro. He had lost his captain in the jungle. Now he looked around in confusion, almost unsure of why he had been chasing Luffy in the first place. When Sanji didn't reply, he asked the question again. Then finally, the slow words entered his ears.

"He…fell."

For Zoro it was like Meitou had been plunged through his stomach. The words cut him so suddenly, so harshly, he stumbled on his feet. Just like that, he knew what to do. Just like that, he wished to hell he had been more cautious, more watchful, because if he lost Luffy now he would be damned forever. Tossing aside his swords, Zoro ran off the cliff and plunged deep into the water. Then Sanji stirred.

"That…bastard!"

It wasn't long before both swordsman and cook were swimming through the blue depths, searching in vain for their captain. With each second that passed Sanji felt as if he was waking up from a nightmare. But the reality that greeted him filled him with no happiness. It was a dread in his stomach, that ever persistent beat in his head matching his heart. He had found Luffy that other night so easily, and it had been in total darkness. Why couldn't he find his captain now…?

The Marimo swam past him. Luffy was held limply in his arms. Sanji only turned and followed Zoro to the surface.

"Is he breathing?"

"No."

"Fucking asshole!"

"You said it."

It was a short exchange of words that nonetheless described perfectly what each was feeling. Sanji all but pulled Luffy away from Zoro once they touched land, and began CPR. Déjà vu washed over him and Sanji ignored his pounding heart, saving his air for his captain. Zoro watched on, his expression closed.

There was a sputter followed by a pained cough. Sanji didn't bother to hide his relief as Luffy's eyes opened, red and teary but so alive. Luffy took once glance at him and then saw Zoro.

"It worked!"

He laughed even as he continued to cough out water from his lungs. Sanji narrowed his eyes. It was a strange feeling. Even now he could feel something tugging at him in the back of his mind to leave Luffy there. But his captain's previous actions had him rooted firmly to his spot. Beside Luffy. There was nowhere else for Sanji to go.

"Luffy…it's not over yet," were Zoro's well-chosen words. It was his usual solemn tone but Sanji couldn't fault the swordsman for his gravity this time. Luffy's solution was only a temporary one.

But their captain only smiled. He stretched his arms back and Sanji had a vague notion of what Luffy was going to do before he spoke to them. "You're going back to Sunny. Stay there. I'll take care of the rest." Then there was a sudden force that propelled Sanji and Zoro back to the ocean, soaring through the sky. It was Luffy's usual method, and Sanji should have expected it earlier, but he still couldn't help the expletives that escaped his mouth before landing with a painful thud on the grassy lawn of Sunny-Go.

It was the sureness in Luffy's voice as he spoke, however, that remained in Sanji's mind as he looked over the ship. He smiled to himself as he rummaged for a new cigarette.

_Only one crew had ever escaped her hold. But they could not destroy her. Her regrets outlived all ambition._

Fire burned and burned and Luffy didn't want to resort to violence, but he had no choice. With some remorse he sent Usopp and Chopper flying back to Sunny-Go. He hoped Zoro or Sanji would be able to spare them from too painful a landing. Then it was Nami and Robin. He managed to lure them away from the burning forest, closer to the coast. Then he gave them the same treatment as the others. Luffy knew he would be in for a punishment later from Nami.

Franky and Brooke were easily dispatched of as well; their confusion was greatly arising at that point and they could barely focus on fighting against their captain. Luffy sent them off smoothly.

Then it was just him and the burning forest. Luffy was once again atop the cliff—this time, his back to the ocean.

"You can't force us to stay here! It's not right. You want friends? All you've ever had were prisoners. You can't keep friends to yourself! That's just selfishness!"

The raging fire swayed in the breeze and Luffy felt anguish in the air. There were no more exotic scents, no more tranquility. There was only burning.

"You won't disappear because of a fire, I know that. You'll still be here even after the entire forest has died. But I'll give you something. If you promise not to take anyone else against their will, I'll come back here. Once a year, every year so long as I'm alive. If you will have me."

There was a hush in the air. Luffy beamed brightly as the sun parted through the gray sky.

"The name is Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, soon to be Pirate King! Remember that!"

_One day, a man appeared. He was different from the rest. She always scorned the captains because they had everything. Friends, loyalty, trust. It was to the captain a ship always turns to for strength. So she would take away everything from the captains and leave them broken. But he did not allow her to do the same to him. He was the one possessing the nature of the king, and she finally made her first friend._

Two days sailing on the Sunny and the crew were mostly back to normal. They laughed and cracked jokes about their time on the island, but in truth, everyone wanted to forget about it. Luffy indulged them on this wish and never mentioned it himself. For a while everyone treaded carefully around him; they knew what Luffy had done and though they couldn't express it in words, they were all infinitely grateful and just a little awestruck. But when Luffy behaved like Luffy, the act was eventually cut and they were back to yelling at their captain every other minute for some misdemeanor or another.

"Did you really think it'd work?"

Sanji approached Luffy one night after dinner. The younger man was lying on the grass, peering up at the starlit sky. When he processed Sanji's question, Luffy looked over at the blond curiously.

"What?"

"Your idea. On the island." No specifications were necessary, Sanji knew. Luffy would always remember that island, just as the rest of them would.

"Aaah… Well, I hoped it would!" replied Luffy, laughing.

Sanji shook his head wearily. "I knew it. I guess it was too much to expect you to actually plan your actions beforehand," he said, taking a seat by his captain.

Luffy was silent for a while. But he continued staring at Sanji with a soft smile. Then he turned back to the stars, tucking his head beneath his arms. "Well, I did manage to get you and Zoro out of the way first. You two would have caused me the most trouble. So I knew I had to somehow get you away from the others in order for me to do anything else."

There was a peaceful pause and then Sanji looked at Luffy. "What's this? You actually used your head, captain?" he drawled casually.

"Well, it happens from time to time."

Sanji laughed.

Neither of them knew what it was that stood between them. It was unspoken from the first time Sanji rescued Luffy from the ocean on that island. Something had changed and neither wished to address it first. For Sanji, he always thought Luffy would make the first move. But his captain was as elusive as ever. This was different from any enchantment. It was also scarier—yet Sanji couldn't bring himself to feel afraid. It was Luffy. And he was… Well, he was Luffy. Sanji didn't know what else to think.

"I would have a fortune by now if someone paid me each time I saved you."

Luffy sat up and looked at Sanji deeply in the eye. It was quick, but Sanji cursed the jump in his heart.

"But I save you too. So we're equal," said Luffy simply, leaning close to the cook.

Sanji didn't move away; he only saw the stars reflected from Luffy's eyes—tiny diamonds amidst coal.

Luffy grinned and bumped heads with his cook before lying back down on the grass, heart full. He wondered if the island would allow him to return. He hoped the others would be with him still. It was a terrifying place, but it had the potential for something great. Luffy could understand the loneliness that drove people mad. He was selfish too sometimes. He glanced at Sanji and saw the blond's mildly surprised expression. Like now. But eventually, Luffy would do something.

He fell asleep on the lawn that night; Sanji's coat was laid across him in the morning.

_Henceforth, the island remains fixed, scarred and imperfect; happily she waits._

_--  
_

**End**


	5. Of Shichibukai and Love

_Major spoilers up to the most current chapters here! Be forewarned! Here are two little stories, both very fluffy. I like my jealous Sanji. _

--

**Abandon**

_Of Shichibukai…_

--

If Sanji ever saw Bartholomew Kuma again, he'd personally deliver that giant bear a kind of hell that the Shichibukai wouldn't _ever _come back from.

The inhabitants of Kamabakka Kingdom hadn't been unkind; on the contrary, they had flanked Sanji like a second skin and with a kind of gusto that barely hedged on psychotic. It wasn't the kind of association he required, however. When the Straw Hats had finally reunited, Sanji had poured all his efforts into forgetting the ordeal forever. But of course, fate had intervened once again. After being divided for such an extensive time, his crewmates had decided to exchange stories like a loose game of cards, and he was forced to relive his nightmare. It hadn't taken much description to arouse Usopp's attentive ears, and the sharpshooter was laughing within moments of Sanji's first words. Zoro smirked at his story, and even Sanji couldn't deny that his was the most embarrassing of the lot.

Nami had taken it in good humor, but couldn't resist the playful jibe, "Maybe you can offer me some makeup and fashion advice now, Sanji-kun?"

He'd been torn by her gentle teasing, and even Robin's amusement was evident. Sanji had wanted to curl up and die in a corner. He offered his tales of misadventure quickly and without much detail, ending in a surly silence that only served to make his comrades laugh harder. Afterwards, he listened to everyone else's stories half-attentively until it was their captain's turn. At this point everyone grew quiet. They had all heard of the breakout from Impel Down, and the subsequent historical battle that took place on Marineford. Even more importantly, they knew that Luffy had been directly involved even though the true story had been repressed; it was only by their captain's dramatic bounty increase that they knew more occurred than was reported. When they had all met up again, everyone noticed the marked change in Luffy's behavior. As exuberant as ever, something still loomed over him.

Zoro had shared a few words on the subject with Brook. "Heavy. His presence is heavier than before."

The swordsman had declared it with all his usual dramatic graveness, but Sanji was inclined to agree for once. And though Luffy was no storyteller, they all listened raptly when he began to speak. Sanji knew he had cut and diced the story to its barest essentials, but they heard everything. Sometimes, he thought to himself once Luffy finished, his captain was pretty damn amazing. The younger man still bore marks of the adventure. He was fatigued by the end of the night, but he didn't show it explicitly. Sanji could see it, though. All of them did, and they chose to turn in early. By unspoken agreement, Luffy wouldn't be getting any watches. The perky captain bounced his way to bed and Sanji took up the first post.

He wasn't at all tired. In fact, his mind was racing. Again, Luffy had gone and nearly gotten himself killed. Sanji had detected that purposely light tone when Luffy went over his first fight with Magellan. Poison. They had almost lost him to Crocodile's poison in Arabasta too. It angered Sanji sometimes, how Luffy took these risks without second thought. He wasn't like Zoro, who seemed to have an innate understanding of Luffy; Sanji could only comprehend his captain's intentions after serious contemplation, but before that he was always just as outraged by Luffy's recklessness as Usopp; the only difference was that he could usually keep his concerns silent. Sanji wished he could plead with Luffy the way Usopp and Chopper could—but that wasn't his nature. He respected his captain too much to let his own meager worries be vocalized.

There was no point protesting now, though. It was all over. They were on their way to Fishman Island. Ace was safe and the Straw Hats were together again. Sanji lit up a new smoke and stared out the glass panes before him.

An hour into his watch, Sanji grew aware of a rapping behind him. He turned around and crunched hard on his cigarette. Luffy grinned at him from outside. Sanji rolled his eyes and reached over to unlock the window. His captain entered the watch post with zest.

"I'm glad Franky made the crow's nest so much bigger. We can fit in no problem here!"

Sanji rested his chin against the palm of his hand. "Why are you here, captain? Chopper ordered more rest for you. That okama's hormone treatment is still affecting you, right?"

Luffy plopped down on the plush couch beside Sanji. The cook could see in the way Luffy moved that he was still exhausted. You would never tell by looking at his face, though; he was beaming like a child who'd just discovered Christmas had arrived early.

"Don't make fun of Iva-chan. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him," replied Luffy.

Sanji suppressed a shudder. That's right. If it weren't for that crazy okama, Luffy would have probably been dead a long time ago. The irony didn't fail him. He had been traumatized to land on an island full of transvestites, harmless as they were. And here was Luffy who had been saved by the former ruler of the aforementioned island. Sanji sighed.

"You really need to stop doing that."

At his captain's inquisitive glance, Sanji grabbed his cheek and tugged. "Nearly dying. What the hell would we do without you?"

Luffy smiled around Sanji's grip. "I'd hope you guys would continue. You shouldn't give up on your dreams so easily. We're pirates. It's not unusual to face death; you just have to go on."

Zoro was right. Luffy's presence was heavier than before. Sanji couldn't stop staring at him. Eventually he let go of his cheek and laughed.

"Did you get a little smarter, Luffy?"

The rubber man grinned. "If it helps… I really don't plan on dying anytime soon."

Sanji watched him through a narrowed gaze. Luffy always said that. Then he was always the first person to go and sacrifice his well-being for someone else. It was understandable. Ace was his brother. But how many more times would Luffy do this? Sanji knew the answer. As many times as it was required.

"When I first joined this crew, I never imagined my captain would be the son of the most wanted criminal in the world. And that he would be brothers with the son of the former Pirate King."

Luffy was beginning to doze off beside him. Sanji pulled a blanket over him.

"… I knew Ace wasn't my _real_ brother, but he was still my brother," replied Luffy, his voice muffled. He rested his head against Sanji's shoulder, eyelids fluttering closed. "I'd do it all over again if I had to…for you too."

Sanji smiled despite himself. He turned a little and pressed a kiss atop Luffy's head. The dark locks had been cleaned recently and he inhaled the fresh scent, treasuring it. God knew how much longer they would experience this kind of peace. Their reputation was rising fast and the New World was within their grasp. Countless new kinds of the threats would plague them, not including the Marines; they would all have to get stronger. Sanji reached down and entwined his fingers with his captain's. Luffy murmured in his sleep and snuggled deeper against him.

"You don't have to do it alone the next time. I'll be there," he said quietly.

He was scared for Luffy. For all of them. Sanji didn't know if they had the strength to reach the top. But thoughts like those came and went quickly. Perhaps they didn't have the power, but they did have something else; they had Monkey D. Luffy, son of a revolutionary, grandson of a Marine hero, brother to the son of the Pirate King. They might not make it, the rest of the Straw Hats. Alone at least. But if Luffy was there with them every step of the way—

—then what the fuck _couldn't _they do?

Sanji breathed out a cloud of smoke. He looked down at his sleeping captain. "I think we're getting a little excited because of you. What a clever guy you are after all…"

If he ever saw that damn Shichibukai again, maybe he'd thank him instead.

--

…_and Love_

--

"So that's Boa Hancock, eh? She's a beauty all right…"

"And she's in love with _Luffy_? Well…I guess stranger things have happened."

Nami raised an eyebrow incredulously as the female Shichibukai embraced Luffy's hand, all attention solely on him. Franky whistled beside her. Obviously, he was impressed that their captain had managed to score a woman like her. Nami was too. In fact, she still couldn't believe it, but the evidence was bright as day right in front of her. She shook her head, nonplussed.

"The sea is a mysterious place…"

"Luffy-san is quite the scoundrel isn't he?" quipped Brook.

When they decided to visit Amazon Lily at Luffy's behest, none of them had expected this kind of greeting. Luffy had given them his reassurances of course, but doubts remained. The island was notorious for a reason. Even Sanji had only ever _fantasized _about visiting the island because everyone knew the truth: On Amazon Lily, outsiders were nothing more but fodder to be swept aside without a second glance. Luffy was the one exception. How that happened, none of them knew, but it was Luffy; he excelled at being the exception. And even though the inhabitants had supposedly given their blessing for him to bring along his crew, said crew couldn't help their skepticism.

Nami had navigated them through the Calm Belt in the slowest manner possible in the hopes of deterring Luffy from his goal, but he remained dead set. When they finally touched upon land, all of them had taken arms in surreptitious methods. Only Luffy appeared confident and cheerful. He stood atop Sunny's head, arms crossed, waiting to be hailed.

And when that hail came, oh, it came.

Even Zoro had begun to draw his swords when the cries came. It sounded like a murderous mass was approaching them; such was the roar and tremor in the ground. But then Luffy laughed and looked back at all of them.

"Here they come! They're really great guys, all of them! You'll like them!"

It fast became clear that the screaming and yelling weren't war cries; they were the cheers of fans coming to greet their greatest idol. Because that was what Luffy apparently was on this island. An idol. It was the simplest term Nami could come up with, and it certainly fit the situation. Even after graciously welcoming the rest of the Straw Hats, all the women's attention was on Luffy. They hugged him—touched, prodded, poked—and laughed with him. A few of the women even bore chopsticks extending down from their nostrils to the gums of their teeth—Luffy's trademark trick. It seemed that being the first man to land on Amazon Lily in generations had left its impression fixed and firm.

Nami was unaccustomed to seeing her captain in such a state. He was irrevocably, and most assuredly, _popular with an entire island of women_. They accepted his eccentricities and even imitated them with the utmost eagerness. The notion made her head swim, and she couldn't help but look at Sanji.

The situation was satirical but Sanji wasn't laughing. Nami only patted his back, effectively conveying to him this message: "Yes, it seems Luffy's actually beat you when it comes to women. Well, good fight anyway—not that there was much of a fight." Of course, the real kicker came when Boa Hancock entered the scene.

Nami wasn't a jealous woman by nature. She was confident in her own beauty and abilities. She never felt the compulsion to engage on trifling rivalries, and she could always acknowledge another woman's endowments without resentment. So when Nami first saw Boa Hancock, it surprised her a little when she felt that iron-clad grip wrapping around her stomach. She was struck by envy for the first time in a long while, and though it made her feel petty, she couldn't help it. The woman was, in fact, gorgeous. Plain and simple.

Naturally, Sanji was all over her in a second.

And that was when the Straw Hats were in for the second treat of the day. Hancock quite literally sidestepped Sanji and walked straight to Luffy, who had offered his hand in greeting. He was grinning widely and Hancock's sudden transformation from regal princess to fawning subject had been…eye-opening to say the least. She shyly took Luffy's hand within her own, batting her eyelashes feverishly.

"Luffy…I'm so glad you have returned. I've been awaiting the day I should see you again," she said in soft, demure tones.

The Straw Hats had nearly keeled over in shock.

"Yo, Hancock! I told you I would come visit again. And you finally get to see the rest of my crew!" replied Luffy, utterly immune to her wiles, but enthusiastic nonetheless.

Hancock had spared them a pleasant smile and polite greeting, but her focus went back to Luffy in a moment's passing. That was when the elder Nyon found them and briefly explained Hancock's infatuation.

Nami wasn't surprised really. One second of watching the Hebihime around Luffy was a dead giveaway, but the truth still stunned her. She cocked her to the side, still watching the other woman engage Luffy with all her infinite charm.

"I thought it was odd when Luffy told us about how a Shichibukai helped him, but…I guess that explains it. He very clearly omitted quite a few details."

Robin smiled. "Probably because he didn't think anything special of it," she said.

Nami groaned out loud, pressing a finger to her temple. "That idiot. All that worrying for nothing!"

"Well, look at him," pointed out Usopp, grinning. "Do you really think he's even the slightest bit aware of Boa's feelings for him?"

Nami regarded the loving scene closely. Yes, the affection was definitely one-sided. Luffy wouldn't know a crush if it punched him in the face. Nami sighed. "I almost feel sorry for her."

"The cook's about to blow," remarked Zoro with perceptible glee.

Sanji hung about behind them, cigarette put out. His hands dug into his pockets and he kicked at a stray pebble. He was sulking all right. Nami felt for him. Luffy could be unconsciously cruel at times.

"And there's Sanji! He's the best cook ever!"

Nami watched as Luffy brought Hancock over to where the blond was lounging.

"Oh, this is gonna be good," she heard Usopp say from somewhere close.

"A sudden lovers' quarrel? I feel a song coming on…"

"Be quiet, Franky! I wouldn't miss a second of this for the world."

"Cook-san doesn't appear very happy does he?"

It was as if a storm suddenly descended upon them. A sudden tension filled the atmosphere and everyone held their breath. Nami bit her lip as she saw Sanji smile at Hancock with all his usual gentlemanliness. But Hancock's own smile was decidedly less warm. There was a chilling quality to her words as she looked upon Sanji, eyes narrowing.

"He makes the _most _delicious food, Hancock! You'll let him use your kitchen won't you?"

"Oh, of course, Luffy. I look forward to it!"

Sanji bowed gallantly. "I aim to please, Hebihime-sama," he replied. Then he wrapped an arm around Luffy's shoulders, pulling the compliant captain to him. "It's amazing my captain has never mentioned you before. I would never think of you as anything but unforgettable."

Nami could have smacked Sanji for his gall. He was plainly screaming out "He's mine!" in front of the Shichibukai, and everyone could see it. She laughed to herself. Well, it wasn't anything too unexpected. Sanji was so predictable sometimes.

"That ero-cook is really serious," commented Zoro with passing approval.

Robin's eyes crinkled as she smiled. "It's true love, no?"

"Man, I never thought Sanji would taunt a woman," remarked Usopp.

"Yohoho! He's too honest with himself!" laughed Brook in obvious delight.

Chopper was in awe. "Luffy's _really_ amazing."

"I guess it's refreshing to see Sanji actually antagonizing a woman for a change," added Nami thoughtfully. "He must really _like _Luffy."

"_Like_? Don't you think you're being a little soft there?" inquired Franky, raising an eyebrow.

Nami shrugged. "There's too many men on this ship."

"Hey, guys! What are you doing over there? Come on, Hancock's gonna let us stay at her castle!" cried out Luffy suddenly.

As they followed after the princess, Nami couldn't resist from grinning as Sanji stuck on Luffy like glue. Even as Hancock spoke with Luffy, the cook remained firmly attached to his other side, listening to every word she said. When Sanji asked Luffy to light his smoke for him, Nami had to fake a cough to stifle her laughter. The look in Hancock's eye as Luffy bent over intimately to light the cigarette was absolutely deadly. Oh yes, Nami thought, it was a good idea to come to Amazon Lily after all.

--

**End**


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